The Veterans Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face the challenges as a veteran returning to civilian life, you are never alone.  Countless men and women have faced the exact same experiences and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge.  

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best veteran resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Veteran Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.    

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Veterans

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Disabled American Veterans
  
• Veterans of Foreign Wars
  

The Big Picture

There can be no greater honor as an American then to have served your country in one of the many branches of the military. There are well over 25 million veterans currently living in the US. That is a huge group that have many resources available to them to aid in their adjustment to civilian life. As a way of saying “thanks,” the US Government provides health care, rehabilitation, college tuition and employment opportunities. Although it can sometimes be a hurdle to navigate through the agencies, veterans should take full advantage of all the benefits. After all, they earned them!

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs : Benefits

One of the most important programs available to veterans is the G.I. Bill. This is established to offer veterans a helping hand with education. The pathway to a productive life can be through a college degree:

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs : GI Bill

As a Returning Veteran

Veterans who are re-entering civilian life after military service often feel as though they are starting their life over. Using the experiences and skills you acquired while in the service will be of great value to a potential employer.

U.S. Office of Personal Management: Veterans Employment

As a veteran you are entitled to lifetime medical care provided by the government. The Veterans Administration health care system has been providing care for heroes for many generations. It is important for any veteran that they stay up to date with their nearest VA healthcare facility.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Health Care 

There is also a range of combat related compensation and pension plans available to veterans and their dependents.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Compensation and Pension

Your World

After returning home from active duty, it's understandable for veterans to experience a flood of emotions. It's important to talk with your loved ones and reach out to support centers during the initial stages of your journey. For advice on dealing with the tangled web of emotions you may be going through, visit

National Veterans Foundation

Because of the wide range of benefits available, it’s helpful to become fully informed as to your options. There is no reason a vet should ever feel overwhelmed with options.

Veterans Resource Network

Veteran Myths

• Nothing is wrong with me
• Military recruits are less educated and have fewer work alternatives than other young Americans
• VA Insurance refunds are available

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

• Military.com: Understanding Veteran Benefits
• The Association for Service Disabled Veterans
  
• Disabled Veterans Associations
  

Types of Veteran Concerns

Physical Disabilities

It’s a sad fact of military service that veterans could be wounded in combat. With advances in medicine and physical therapy there are many rehabilitation options available to these heroes.

Disabled Veterans: Opportunities to Use Your Abilities

Part of the recovery process for a disabled veteran could involve vocational rehabilitation. This resource will help you find employment and adapt to home life with your new concerns.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is an all too common concern for veterans of all ages and ranks. The experiences of active combat duty can be a challenge to assimilate once you have returned to your civilian life. It’s important to know all the facts about this disorder.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD

There is also concern for older vets who might still be dealing with their own combat memories from previous wars.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: PTSD and Older Veterans

The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have presented an influx of returning service men and women who might need help dealing with departure from active duty service.

Iraq War Veterans Organization: PTSD 101

Starting a Small Business

For employment opportunities, veterans can consider opening up a small business. The Small Business Administration has specific tips and resources available for vets.

Small Business Administration: About

Loans

As part of the far reaching benefits package available to veterans, the US government has a dedicated loan fund set up to help vets with the purchase and refinancing of homes.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Home Loan Guaranty Services

Insurance

There are also specific insurance policies provided by the government with the concerns of the military veteran in mind.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Life Insurance

Work Matters

The motto of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service is Hire Vets First. This is part of a broad US Department of Labor program designed at helping vets find work.

United States Department of Labor: Veteran's Employment and Training Service

You can also find many employment opportunities for veterans at these databases:

• USAJOBS: Search Jobs
• Veteran Employment: Veteran Job Search

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

One of the most important programs for veterans is the Veterans’ Administration healthcare system. There is a lot to learn about the VA and it sometimes helps to go to an outside source for direct information.

Military.com: Veteran's Medical Benefits Package

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Reacclimating to civilian life can be a challenge to anyone returning from active duty service, regardless of whether or not they have been in combat. Some people find that dealing with the return from an emotional standpoint is more of a hardship than the actual service. Many survivors panic and break down under the stress of coping with civilian life. To avoid this, it's important to continue living your life normally, participating in the same daily activities you've always done. Support groups are also important to maintaining a healthy emotional state. Other than that, educating yourself on the reality of veteran care and exposing yourself to books and stories written by those who have dealt with these issues in their past can help give you and your loved ones hope while dealing with this crisis.

Books Survivors Recommend

The Veteran’s Survival Guide: How to File and Collect on VA Claims

Veteran’s Benefit For Dummies

Chicken Soup for the Veteran’s Soul: Stories to Stir the Pride and Honor the Courage of Our Veterans

What Survivors Wish They’d Known

Communicating with Your Health-care providers

• It’s essential to register with the VA hospital nearest you. Don’t wait until you are sick to visit a doctor. Sometimes the wait can be very frustrating.
• Don't be afraid to ask any questions that you feel you need the answer to, even if you may be scared of the answer. Ignorance won't help you fight any health problem - emotionally or physically.
• Write down any questions you may have ahead of time and the answers to those questions as your health-care provider walks you through them.  Don't be afraid to ask for clarification on anything.
  

Dealing with a Veteran: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors            

How you can help

• As the vet makes the adjustment back to civilian life, assist your friend or family member with their day-to-day duties or chores, but be sure to find a good balance so as not to throw off their pattern of living, which may increase their stress as they may feel they are becoming a burden.
• Preserve your friend or family member's daily activities. It's normal to feel protective but excluding vets from activities or decisions you don't see them as fit enough to perform contributes to feelings of helplessness.
• Involve your friend or family member with others. Don't focus exclusively on their combat experiences when interacting with them. Talk to them about yourself or make plans to visit friends and loved ones. A survivor involved with others has a better chance of avoiding feelings of abandonment.
  

What to say   

• "I will support your transition back to civilian life any way I can."
• "It’s okay to talk to someone about what you’re feeling."
• “There are a lot of vets willing to help.”

What not to say

• "Don't worry, we'll find a way to make this all go away."
• "I don’t want to hear any more war talk."
• "You should have never gone into the military."
  

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Offering day-to-day support is a great gift to give a family member who is a veteran or a friend/neighbor that has just returned from active duty. If the survivor isn't a family member, help out the vet's family when they are making the adjustments by picking up the mail or newspaper, making meals, going grocery shopping, etc. If the survivor is a family member, help out with chores or other duties they may have fallen behind on.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates
  

How to help a survivor deal with day-to-day challenges

• Family of Favet: Veterans Benefits Network
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Veterans and their Families
  

After returning and making the adjustment back to civilian life, assess and share with others how you feel emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Recovering from a transition like this is almost as shocking as leaving in the first place. By telling your story, you can not only put into perspective your thoughts and feelings but you can provide hope to others who are going through a similar journey themselves, whether it be with active combat duty or a military service that kept them from home.  

Period of Adjustment  

You can’t expect a returning vet to literally “pick up where they left off” and instantly get back to their former life. Emotionally dealing with a return to civilian life is difficult. There is a period of adjustment both for the vet and their family. Check out this site to find how families can support their soldiers.

Veterans' Families United: How to Intervene to Help Your Veteran

Many organizations that have been established to help veterans where set up and run by the vets themselves. They will truly understand what you are going through because they’ve been there themselves.

Vets for Justice: Veteran Help

Give back

What helped you while you were dealing with the adjustment back to civilian life? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your veteran experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org. Check out some of the best charities for supporting veterans: U.S. Department of Veterans Affair - VA Voluntary Service 

Its a sad reality that some returning veterans “fall through the cracks.” Because of their difficult period of adjustment, they often end up homeless. These forgotten heroes need our help most of all. There are specific services that have been established to help homeless vets get back on their feet.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans: Help for Homeless Veterans

Whether a veteran passes away from active duty or from retired service, they are entitled to a dignified memorial.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Burial & Memorials Home